I am pleased that a solution to the political situation in Armenia has been found, via negotiation and through the Parliament, and congratulate Nikol Pashinyan on his election as Armenia’s new Prime Minister.

It is to the credit of all involved that events over the last three weeks have unfolded peacefully and largely without incident.

It is important that the restraint and statesmanship shown by all parties continues and that the political process moves forward, based on solid constitutional and legal foundations.

In my two visits to Armenia in the last 12 months, I have seen first-hand the country’s rich history, and its huge potential. I was particularly impressed by the many young people I met, who are determined to build a bright future for Armenia.

The UK, as a longstanding friend of Armenia, stands ready to support its efforts to strengthen its democracy, deliver good governance, and improve economic opportunities for all.

The UK welcomes the resumption of peace talks in South Sudan next week and the consultations that are now underway. This is a critical moment for the peace process and we remain strongly in support of regional efforts to bring about a lasting peace.

It is disappointing that we once again find ourselves in a position where the cessation of hostilities agreement reached at the last set of talks has not held, and the talks have so far failed to generate serious commitment to compromise. Meanwhile, the people of South Sudan remain in a terrible state of conflict and humanitarian crisis. Fighting, troop movements and the rhetoric of war continues, pushing the country deeper into crisis. In recent weeks we have seen violent clashes surge in Unity, Jonglei and the Central Equatorias. This is causing immense suffering and preventing lifesaving assistance from reaching those most in need.

As no party has yet been held to account for violating the cessation of hostilities agreement, the perpetrators continue to act with impunity. This is undermining prospects for a lasting peace to be agreed at the upcoming talks. Those who have violated the cessation of hostilities agreement must face consequences for their actions. We urge the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to take immediate action in this regard, to leave the parties in no doubt of the region’s commitment to peace.

Only a negotiated agreement can bring peace in South Sudan and create the conditions for elections. We believe that the High-level Revitalisation Forum remains the only platform with the scope and inclusion to deliver this.

Independent hospitals must ‘get their house in order and improve safety’, the Health and Social Care Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.

In a letter to the chief executives of independent healthcare providers, Jeremy Hunt ordered urgent action to be taken to improve patient safety.

As part of its recent report on the sector, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the safety regulator – raised patient safety as its biggest concern. CQC rated a third of independent hospitals as ‘requires improvement’ following examples of poor practice and unsafe care.

The Health and Social Care Secretary said:

If the sector is to partner with the NHS and benefit from our world-leading medical training, we need urgent assurances that the independent sector will get its house in order on safety, as well as a commitment to take rapid action to match the NHS’s world-recognised progress on transparency.

Mr Hunt has given the sector 2 weeks to respond and set out what action they will take.

Read the full text of the letter.

The Welsh Government is the first organisation in the UK to put this in place. 

Speaking to the UK Finance Annual Cymru Mortgage Lunch, she will explain how Help to Buy-Wales equity loan applicants will be able to borrow more money for a more energy efficient home. 

Rebecca Evans said: 

“From this June, the Help to Buy-Wales equity loan affordability calculator will include an energy efficiency element. This means when people look to see how much they can afford they will be given different options depending on the energy efficiency of the property they are looking to buy, and loans will be adjusted according to the energy rating of the home they choose.

“A more energy efficient home costs less in bills, so buyers will potentially be able to afford to borrow more. We know that energy spending can be a major household outgoing, which is why we want to make energy efficiency part of the consideration when people look to buy a home in Wales.

“We have worked closely with the Building Research Establishment on the LENDERS project which modelled this work, and we are the first government, indeed the first organisation in the UK to put this into practice. 

“Whilst there is no obligation on mortgage lenders to change existing practices or their own affordability assessments, we hope to see them follow our lead and make energy efficiency part of the mortgage consideration for all homebuyers in Wales.” 

Andrew Sutton, Associate Director, BRE Wales, said: 

“This announcement is a great step for the LENDERS project outcomes and fantastic news for first-time buyers in Wales. The more accurate forecasting provided by the research will help many onto the housing ladder who might have struggled to obtain a mortgage previously, and the research we will do in parallel with the adoption should help other financial institutions better understand the practicality of implementing.

“I am delighted to see the LENDERS project translated from research into reality and I hope to see other mortgage lenders follow suit.”

The public evidence gathering day will take place on Friday 8 June in Central London.

The day will commence at 10am and the working group will hear presentations from a number of invited stakeholders. The public session is expected to finish at 3pm.

This evidence gathering day will be open to members of the public who wish to observe the day’s proceedings. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions of the working group.

If you would like to attend please email the ACMD secretariat to reserve a place: ACMD@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk.

Read the request for evidence for this working group.